We stayed overnight at Emerald - a busy town with lots happening.  It is in the centre of the gem fields area.  Jacqui & Steve decided to try their hand at fossicking at Sapphire and Terry & I headed for the coast for a bit of beach-time at 1770 before we have to travel south.

Emerald

 

Emerald Railway Station

 

Jacqui



Emerald to 1770 via Rockhampton    - 490km   Temps in the mid to high 30'sC



At Blackwater we saw evidence of coal mining which is extensive in this area. We passed very long coal trains. I counted a train with 98 coal trucks with 2 engines pulling it and 2 engines in the middle of the train. They would be hauling the coal to Gladstone from where it would be exported all over the world.

 

 Blackwater

 

A Coal Train

Water in the Rivers & Creeks

 

 Lots of roadworks on the road south from Rocky to 1770 which made the trip slower but we finally arrived and booked into the 1770 Caravan Park which is right on the beach.  The Town of 1770 is where Captain Cook landed in the year 1770 - his second landing in Australia (his first landing was Botany Bay in Sydney) - the town was named accordingly.

1770

Kookaburra sitting on Electric post
in caravan park

Terry working hard

There are few places on the east coast of Australia where you can see the sun go down over the ocean.  1770 is one of these.  The sunsets are fantastic.

Sunset

Sunset through the trees

Linnie at 1770

It is beautiful here - the weather is perfect - sunny every day and not too hot - just right about 33C